What is Wendy Williams' Net Worth?
Wendy Williams is an American television host, businesswoman, media personality, and author who has a net worth of $5 million. As we detail in the paragraphs below, in a 2024 Lifetime documentary, Wendy claimed to "have no money." If true, this claim would be particularly shocking considering at the peak of her success she was earning millions of dollars per year. Around the time the documentary aired, it was revealed that Wendy was suffering from dementia and aphasia and had been under a financial guardianship since 2022. It's very possible that she has money, but she does not control her assets anymore. More on these claims and her finances in the next sections below.
Wendy Williams is best known for hosting the nationally syndicated television talk show "The Wendy Williams Show" from 2008 to 2022.
She began her career in radio with a knack for controversy and candidness, which helped her stand out in urban markets, particularly in New York City. Williams transitioned to television with the launch of "The Wendy Williams Show" in 2008. The show quickly gained popularity for its unique blend of celebrity gossip, interviews, and Williams' outspoken personality, becoming a staple in daytime television. Beyond TV, Williams has authored several books, both fiction and non-fiction, further establishing her footprint in the entertainment industry.
Her style, characterized by her direct approach and the famous "How you doin'?" catchphrase, resonated with a wide audience, cementing her status as a cultural icon. Despite facing personal and health challenges throughout her career, Williams has shown resilience, using her platform to discuss issues ranging from substance abuse to mental health, thereby influencing public discourse.
Wendy Williams Salary Per Episode
Wendy's salary for "The Wendy Williams Show" was $10 million per year. In some years, she filmed 180 episodes. That breaks down to a salary per episode of $55,000.
"I Have No Money"
In a two-part Lifetime documentary airing in February 2024, Wendy made the following claim:
"I have no money, and I'm gonna tell you something. If it happens to me, it could happen to you."
At the same time, it should be noted that in 2022, Wendy was placed under a financial guardianship by a New York judge after being deemed an "incapacitated person" due to her decades-long alcohol and cocaine addiction and more recent mental and physical health issues. In February 2024, Wendy's team revealed that the star had been diagnosed with a form of dementia. The same dementia that afflicts Bruce Willis. Considering she was paid millions of dollars in salary every year up until fairly recently AND was wealthy enough to buy a $4.5 million condo in 2021, it's our view that it seems more likely that Wendy does not have access to her money. Hence her comment, "I have no money."
Financial Account Freeze
In February 2022, it was revealed that Wells Fargo Advisors had frozen Williams's access to her bank accounts, cutting her off from millions of dollars and threatening her ability to pay her employees and her mortgage. Wells Fargo claimed at the time that Williams is being "financially exploited" by others in her inner circle. Williams filed an injunction of her own to try and get her money back:
"Until Wells Fargo reopens my personal, business, deferred compensation, and investment accounts, unfreezes my financial assets, my family and I are at risk of suffering continued irreparable financial harm."
The dispute appears to have been rooted in a conflict between Williams and her fired former financial advisor, Lori Schiller, who first made the determination that Williams was unable to manage her own finances competently. And even though Williams fired Schiller shortly after, Wells Fargo has continued to follow her directives and freeze Williams's financial accounts.
Wells Fargo appeared to be sticking with Schiller, citing her 23-year career track record in court and issuing the following press statement:
"Wells Fargo's priority is the financial well-being of Ms. Williams and the preservation of her privacy. As we have expressed to the Court, Wells Fargo is open to working with Ms. Williams' counsel to release funds directly to her creditors for bills historically and regularly paid from her accounts."
IRS Lien
In January 2024, the IRS reportedly filed a $568,451 lien against her New York City condo. Wendy paid $4.5 million for the condo in 2021. The lien is apparently connected to unpaid federal taxes for the years 2019 and 2021.
Real Estate
Wendy and ex-husband Kevin Hunter's primary residence was a 6,000-square-foot home in Livingston, New Jersey, that she bought for $2.1 million in 2009. Wendy sold this home in August 2020 for $1.475 million.
On April 24, 2019, it was reported that Wendy had moved to excise Kevin from her life both personally and professionally. She reportedly fired him from the show and hired a team of financial advisors to protect her assets. She has cut all ties and has hired a new manager. She paid $3 million for a Manhattan penthouse. It was reported in March 2023 that Williams was selling off her belongings in advance of a cross-country move to Los Angeles.
In July 2021, Wendy paid $4,546,687 for a 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom, 2,400-square-foot condo at 50 West Street in New York City. The multi-level condo features 20-foot double-height living/dining room, custom cabinetry, top-of-the-line appliances, and more. The building itself features a 60-foot lap pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, and Observatory on the 64th floor.
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Early Life
Wendy Williams was born on July 18, 1964, in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The second of three kids, she was born to Shirley and Thomas Williams. When Wendy was five, the family moved to Ocean Township, NJ. She graduated from Ocean Township High School and attended Northeastern University from 1982 to 1986. She graduated from Northeastern with a Bachelor's of Science degree in communications and was a DJ for the college radio station WRBB.
Radio Career
Her first professional radio job was at WVIS in the Virgin Islands. From there, she landed a job as a substitute DJ at WRKS in New York City. A year later, Williams got a gig hosting in the afternoons at the Washington, DC-based station WOL. Pretty soon Wendy was one of the most popular full-time DJs at the station and was hosting the most important drive-time shift. After a format change, Wendy switched over to NYC's Hot 97 urban station, where she remained from 1994 to 1998. She was fired in 1998 and then hired by a station in Philadelphia, WUSL. At this station, Wendy really hit her stride. It was while in Philadelphia that she met her eventual husband, Kevin Hunter, who also became her agent.
Her show was eventually syndicated across the country. Her frank and honest discussions about her personal struggles with miscarriages, former drug addiction, and her breast enhancement surgery helped grow her popularity, and she helped the station move from 14th place to 2nd place in ratings. In 2001, she returned to NYC for a full-time syndicated 4-hour time slot on WBLS. Williams most notably had a wild interview with Whitney Houston that catapulted Wendy to fame in her radio career. Wendy left the radio show in 2009 to focus on a career in television. By then, she had been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
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The Windy Williams Show
Today, Wendy is most famous for being the host of the popular syndicated television show, "The Wendy Williams Show."
Williams was offered a six-week trial of her own television talk show in 2008 by Debmar-Mercury. "The Wendy Williams Show" debuted in July 2008, and following its positive feedback, Fox signed a deal with Debmar-Mercury to broadcast the show nationally. BET also picked up cable rights to broadcast the show at night and began airing the show internationally to 54 countries through BET International in 2010. Her show has been very successful, attracting 2.4 million daily viewers on average. As of this writing, it has since aired more than 1,500 episodes through 13 seasons. During the November 2015 sweeps, the talk show was ranked No. 1 in the demographic of women 25-54 in the U.S.
In February 2019, Williams was forced to take some unprecedented time off for complications due to Graves' disease. Guest hosts, including Nick Cannon, filled in for Wendy until she returned on March 4, 2019. Williams was nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards in 2015 and 2016 for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for Wendy: The Wendy Williams Show. In 2016, she was nominated for a People's Choice Award for Favorite Daytime TV Host.
In 2021, Williams took an indefinite leave of absence from the show due to various medical issues and illnesses, and she was replaced by a variety of guest hosts for the season. In February 2023, Debmar-Mercury announced the successor to "The Wendy Williams Show," "Sherri," would begin filming with host Sherri Shepherd.
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Acting Career
Williams has made appearances in TV, films, and theater and has even dabbled in stand-up comedy. She's made appearances in the television shows "Martin," "One Life to Live," and "Dancing with the Stars." Wendy also acted in the films "Act Like a Lady," "Think Like a Man," and that film's two sequels, "World War Z," and "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates."
In 2014, Williams went on a comedy tour performing standup around the country. In 2015, she launched the 12-city comedy tour The Wendy Williams Sit Down Tour: Too Real for Standup.
Williams and her husband, Kevin, launched a reality TV production company, Wendy Williams Productions, in 2013.
Williams has produced numerous other television shows such as "Drop Dead Diva" (2011), where she played a judge, as well as season 12 of "Dancing with the Stars" as a contestant. She also was cast in the Broadway musical "Chicago," completing a seven-week run of the show in 2013. Williams has also produced several shows, including the 2015 Discovery channel documentary series "Death by Gossip with Wendy Williams" (which she also hosted), the Lifetime biopic "Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B" (2014), and the GSN game show "Love Triangle" (2011).
Books and Other Ventures
Wendy has authored the books "Wendy's Got the Heat," "The Wendy Williams Experience," "Ask Wendy: Straight-Up Advice for All the Drama in Your Life," "Drama Is Her Middle Name," "Is the Bitch Dead, Or What?," "Ritz Harper Goes to Hollywood," and "Hold Me in Contempt: A Romance." Wendy is especially known for her famous catchphrase, "How you doin'?".
Williams partnered with the Home Shopping Network (HSN) and debuted a line of dresses, pants, sweaters, and skirts on March 28, 2015. The Wendy Williams line is sold exclusively at HSN, and Williams told viewers on her talk show that according to HSN, the debut of her line was the network's most-watched premiere ever. Williams also has a line of jewelry that is sold on the home shopping network QVC called "Adorn by Wendy Williams."
Divorce And Personal Issues
Williams has been open about her health struggles with hyperthyroidism and Graves' disease. Due to her thyroid condition thinning her hair, she wears wigs in public. Wendy revealed she was diagnosed with lymphedema in 2019, which causes swelling in her ankles. In early 2022, her bank, Wells Fargo, froze her accounts and requested a court hearing to determine whether or not her health conditions rendered her incapacitated and in need of guardianship.
Wendy has been married twice, with her first marriage ending in a separation after five months and a year and a half of divorce proceedings. She married Kevin Hunter on November 30, 1997. They welcomed a son, Kevin Jr., in 2000. Kevin ultimately became Wendy's manager. Kevin Hunter was allegedly unfaithful to Wendy on a number of occasions. He was also reported to be very controlling and physically abusive at times.
In 2019 rumors swirled that Kevin welcomed a baby born of a mistress. Around this time, Wendy revealed on her show that she was living out of a sober house due to a past cocaine addiction. In April 2019, Wendy filed for divorce from Kevin after 22 years of marriage. The court filing cited irreconcilable differences and sought to establish an appropriate level of child support and split of assets.
